Various types of hangers are known for displaying various items such as quilts, tapestry, rugs and other items, e.g., those items mentioned above. The items often are used to display such fabric art in various environments ranging from a personal home to a public museum. In a museum, for instance, the item of fabric art may be displayed on a wall and changed every month or so.
One of the problems with handling and displaying such sheet items of fabric art is the damage done to the items and which may become permanent. If an item is displayed, it typically has considerable value to an individual or institution. The item may be a new item of fabric art which can be quite delicate or, most often, the item is somewhat old or very old and fragile.
In particular, most prior art hanging assemblies for sheet items of fabric art use some form of pressure or clamping directly onto the item. Such forces cause stresses in the fabric and even can cause permanent impressions. This is particularly true if the item is old. Even newer items can be damaged when the item is a large quilt, tapestry, blanket or rug which is quite heavy. The weight, combined with the clamping forces, actually can separate the fabric weave and cause considerable damage to valuable works of art.
The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unique system which utilizes an interface member which can be attached to the sheet item with appropriate non-invasive attaching means. The interface member then is secured to a frame of the hanging assembly and absorbs the abusive forces therefrom. In other words, the hanging assembly of the invention isolates the sheet item of fabric art from abusive clamping or other forces. The assembly also is versatile, easy to use and is arranged so as not to be visible in use.